christianreader | Sarah's July Books

Total read this month: 4

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
I actually put off finishing this for a day or two because I wasn't sure I could handle all the feels. Haha. I did end up crying at a couple of moments in the last quarter of the book, but it wasn't so bad. As I'd expected after spending several weeks immersed in the series, I went through a slight I-don't-want-to-read-anything-else slump afterwards, but, happily, it didn't last...

Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin
So I was a huge Baby-Sitters Club fan as a kid, and in recent years I've enjoyed reading some of Ann's other young adult fiction--I'm actually really impressed with how she seems to continually push herself in new directions while maintaining the style I like so much. This story is told from the perspective of a young girl with Asperger's who loses her dog during a hurricane. I know, it sounds like it's setting you up for a heartbreaking ending, but it wasn't quite as tear-jerking as I'd expected, though serious and sad in other ways. I'd recommend it.

Wildfire at Midnight by Mary Stewart
This was mentioned in the community awhile ago, and I checked it out of the library. I enjoyed it! At first, it reminded me of other midcentury British mystery novels I've read, only set on the isle of Skye. As the story developed, though, I got into it much more and enjoyed the suspense as well as the setting.

Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
This was my first Hardy novel, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but it turned out to be a very fun read. A few times, though, I was struck by similarities to Eliot's Adam Bede, which I read a few months ago--a tragic love triangle, dashing ne'er-do-well, virtuous shepherd, and spirited female protagonist in a rural English setting...hmm. I also learned about sheep farming in surprising detail. :)